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Changhuei Yang, Professor of Electrical Engineering, Bioengineering, and Medical Engineering, and his postdoctoral colleague Dr. Haowen Ruan have developed a novel technique called time-reversed ultrasound microbubble encoded (TRUME) that uses gas-filled microbubbles to focus light inside tissue. "Ultrasound and X-ray techniques can only detect cancer after it forms a mass," Yang says. "But with optical focusing, you could catch cancerous cells while they are undergoing biochemical changes but before they undergo morphological changes." [Caltech story]

Erik Winfree, Professor of Computer Science, Computation and Neural Systems, and Bioengineering, has been elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) which is the world's largest general scientific society. Professor Winfree was recognized for his "foundational contributions to biomolecular computing and molecular programming." [Caltech story] [ENGenious feature]

The power network of the future—also known as the smart grid—will have to be much more dynamic and responsive than the current electric grid, handling tremendous loads while incorporating intermittent energy production from renewable resources such as wind and solar, all while ensuring that when you or I flip a switch at home or work, the power still comes on without fail. An interdisciplinary group of engineers, economists, mathematicians, and computer scientists, including Professors Steven Low and Adam Wierman are working to develop the devices, systems, theories, and algorithms to help guide this historic transformation and make sure that it is properly managed. [Caltech feature]

Dr. Jakob J. van Zyl (PhD ’86 EE), Caltech Senior Faculty Associate in Electrical Engineering and Aerospace, as well as the Associate Director of Project Formulation and Strategy at JPL, will receive an honorary Doctor of Engineering (DIng) degree from Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Dr. van Zyl was born in Outjo, Namibia and received his first degree in electrical engineering from the University of Stellenbosch . He then came to Caltech where he obtained his Masters and PhD in electrical engineering.

Hyuck Choo, Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering, and Azita Emami, Professor of Electrical Engineering, have been selected as two of the nine inaugural Heritage Research Institute for the Advancement of Medicine and Science at Caltech researchers. They will hold the title of Heritage Principal Investigators (HPI) and will have more opportunities to collaborate with other HPIs and with practicing physicians in the local community. [Caltech story]

Electrical Engineering postdoctoral scholar Dr. Haowen Ruan and graduate student Mooseok Jang, who work with Professor Changhuei Yang, have won first place for Best Student Poster Presentation at the Engineering Conferences International (ECI) series entitled “Advances in Optics in Biotechnology, Medicine and Surgery XIV.” Their winning poster demonstrated research in biomedical optics, specifically a novel technique that focuses light inside biological tissue by time-reversing the light encoded through popping of a microbubble. The technique has the potential to enable one to “see” through biological bodies with light.

P. P. Vaidyanathan, Professor of Electrical Engineering, been chosen to receive the 2016 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Gustav Robert Kirchhoff Award for his “fundamental contributions to digital signal processing.” This Technical Field Award, is one of IEEE's most prestigious honors, and recognizes professionals whose exceptional achievements and outstanding contributions have made a lasting impact on technology, society, and the engineering profession.

Caltech’s 121st commencement ceremony was held on Friday June 12, 2015. The commencement speaker was cultural anthropologist Genevieve Bell, an expert on the intersection of culture and technology. She reminded the graduates that it is the 50th anniversary of Moore’s Law which she referred to as a bold statement of engineering and a promise about the state of the future. She asked the graduates to not only bring their technical skills to the table, but also their humanity and obligation to make the work a better place. [View Dr. Bell’s commencement address]